Resilient wheel



J. PRONOVOST.

BESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; I0. 1920.`

1,396,233. Patented Nov.. 8, 1921.

3 SHE ETS-SHEET1.

J. PRONOVOST.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION man FEB, 1o. 1920.

1 ,396,233. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

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me/whom i @5% MUZ 1. PRONOVOST.

REslLlENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEBl I0. 1920.

1 ,$96,233. Patented Nov. s, 1921.

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JOSEPH PnoNovosT, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application filed February 10, 1920. Serial No. 357,571.

T all wh-0m it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH Pnoiyovos'r, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which 'form a part of this specification.

The pincipal object of this invention is to improve upon the type of. spring wheel, upon which I have obtained Letters Patent of' the United AStates, #1220889 and VaL-1220890, the improvement residing nter ala in constructing a wheel which presents improved riding qualities, which comprises a minimum number of parts and which is thoroughly practical from a manufacturing standpoint.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, one of the sideplates or shields being broken away to disclose the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation, partly in section, of the wheel.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation of the hub-member of the wheel.

Fig 4' is a detail view in'end elevation,

partly in section, of said hub-member.

Y F 1g. 5 is a detached detail view in side elevation of vone o f the two thrust plates of Athe wheel.

Fig. 6 is a detached detail view in side elevation of two of the springs and related parts, the trunnions, or bearings, for the shape.

Fig. 10 is a detached detail vview in side elevation of one of the screw posts for the springs.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a. complemental spring frame before being bent up to shape.

Fig. 12 is a view in elevation of the cross bar forming a part of one of the units.

F ig. 13 is a view in elevation of the spring which operates in conjunction with the cross bar in each unit.

Referring now in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a rear hub-member, that is, a hub-member adapted for use on one of the rear wheels of a vehicle, having integral radial spokes 2, reinforced by a web 3, provided with apertured bosses 4, projecting on each side thereof, and through the apertures of which bolts 5 may pass to secure to said hub-member an annular plate 6, provided with a marginal flange 7, as shown in Fi 2; nuts 5 being screwed on the threaded ends of said bolts.

The hub-member is preferably a malleable iron casting, provided at the outer ends of the spokes 2 with bosses 8 projecting on each side of the latter, and provided with alined threaded apertures 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, for a purpose hereinafter appearing. The hubportion is also provided with a rim 10.

Preferably a buffer 11, herein shown as of rubber, is disposed on the rim 10 and encircles the same. Concentrically disposed with reference to said' hub-member 1, and surrounding the same as an outer wheel sect-ion made preferably as a metal casting and comprising an inner and an outer rim, 12 and 13 respectively, connected by spokes 14 radiating from said inner rim 12. The outer rim 13 is transversely apertured at spaced intervals for the reception of bolts 15, carrying nuts 16, whereby metallic shields 17 and 18 are detachably fastened to said rim. The inner rim 12 is apertured at spaced intervals for the reception of pins or rods 19 which extend therethrough and project on each side of the rim, as shown in Fig. 2.

Screwed into the threaded recesses 9 of the bosses 8, 8 are screw posts 20.

Disposed against each side of the hubmember 1 are thrust plates 21, 21, which, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, are substantially annular in shape and provided along their peripheries with scallops, or curved recesses 22, equidistantly spaced. Each plate 21 is also provided with an annular series of apertures 23, fwhereby securing means may pass .therethrough to secure the plates to the hubv member 1.

Fig. 5 is a view of one ofsaid plates ion a reduced scale, it being apparent by inspection of Fig. 2 that said plates are of greater diameter than the hub-member 1, so as to project beyond the rim of the latter. As

shown inA dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, the scallops 22 are disposedin alinement with the bolts or rods 19, whereby, in the operation of the wheel, said rods enter the recesses 22, which consequently act to take'up the thrust.

A vspring frame! member is shown in plan view in Fig. 7 before being bent up to shape, the saidmember being shown in Figs. 8 and 9 as beine' bent up to proper shape. As shown in tFig. 7, vsaid spring member comprises a metallic strip provided intermediate `itsends and on each side of the longitudinal center with longitudinally extending-slots 22, 22, provided at one end with a curved enlargement 23. The strip is provided at one end with a tongue 24, and is bifurcated at its other end as shown at 25. The metallic strip is bent centrally and transversely along the dotted line shown in Fig. 7, so as to present two side members 24, 24, as 4shown comprises a metallic plate or strip provided intermediate its ends and on each side of the longitudinal center with two longitudinally extending slots 27, 27, provided each at one end -with a curved enlargement 28. As

shown in Fig. 6, the frame member is bent transversely at its longitudinal center so as `to present the two side members 29, 29, connected at one end by the curved bridge 30, which passes around the bolt 19. The ter- 4minals of said side members 29, 29 are bentl so as to provide outturned iianges 32, 32, which are engaged with a cross-bar 33, havinga curved bearing portion 34, bearing against the screw-member 20.

' In the assembled position of the parts, as shown in Fig. 6, the side members 24, 24 and 29, 29 are disposed-in parallel relationship and slide against each other. In tliisposition 0f the parts, the slots v22, 22 and 27, 27 register.`

supports for torsion springs 35,135.' YEach a pneumatic tire may be As shown in Fig. 2, a series of these complemental s'pringframe members is disposed on each side of the wheel and form coil,'as shown, and the one terminal 3.6, 36 extends through the registering openings 22, 22 and 27, 27, and bears against one face of .the cross-bar 33, as shown clearly inFig. 6. VThe other terminal'37 vof the spring is bent at Y its end, as shown at 38, so as to bear against the curved portion 26 of one of the spring frame members.

it will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that thespolies v2 ofi the hub-member 1 are disposed in staggered relation with the spokes 14 on the outer wheel section, and the frame members carrying the springs are disposed at inclinations to radial lines from the center of the wheel,so that said springs will readily yield under pressure and successively be vibrated incident to the wheel rolling over the surface of the ground. It will also be noted, by referring to Fig. 1, that the spring frame members on one side of the wheel are oppositely inclined to'those on the opposite side of the wheel. v Y By the construction ofthe resilient wheel described, it will be noted that a torque is afforded, that is, thehub-,member 1 Vwill be capable of a twisting action and that shocks coming from the motor or yfrom -a rapid throwing ofthe clutch will be absorbed.

- Preferably the outer rim 13,011 lthe outer Y wheel section is provided with a cushion tire 39.' Y

By the provision of a resilient wheehmade i in accordance with my invention, it will b e noted that a simple and eflicient mechanism is afforded, in which the parts necessary to accomplish the desired-results are reduced to Y.

a minimum and are so arranged that the slightest vibration will 'be absorbed, so that a result equal to that obtained from the use of pneumatic tires is produced and jwhereby dispensed-with.

What I claim toV be new is:

1. A resilient wheel comprising avhub portion having a rim with integralspoke sections, a boss at the end Vof each spoke section having a threaded recess, saidspokes havingbolt apertures, an outer rim section with bolt holes, Abolts in saidv opposite'sides of the wheel, oppositely disposed sliding frames `engaging saidV bolts upon the hub vand rim section, and coiled springsinterposed between and-bearing against the opposite ends of said frames and tending to normally hold the rim and hub sections spaced.

2. A resilient wheel comprising a hub portion having a rim with integral. spoke sections, aboss at' the end of each Vspoke section having a threaded recess said spokes having bolt apertures, an outer rim section with bolt holes, bolts in said. holes and'inY said bosses, torsion springs arranged inpairs upon opposite sides of the'wheel, oppositely disposed sliding frames engaging said bolts Y upon the hub and rim section, said springs interposed between and bearing against the opposite sides of said frames and tending to normally hold the rim and hub sections spaced, and circular thrust plates fastened to said hub section, and having recessed portions opposite the end of each spoke section of the hub.

3. A resilient wheel comprising a hub portion having a rim with integral spoke sections, with bosses having threaded recesses, at the outer end of each spoke, bolts engaging said' threaded apertures and having projecting ends, an outer rim section with integral apertured spokes, bolts passing through apertures in the rim section, clevisshaped spring frames engaging over the projecting ends of bolts upon the hub and rim sections and having sliding movements relative to each other and torsion springs carried by said frames and bearing against the ends thereof, said springs reversely arranged upon opposite sides of the Wheel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOSEPH PRONOVOST. 

